The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-09-15
WHO DESTROYED COLUMBIA!
SOME NEW FACTS UPON a MUCH
DISCUSSED QUESTION.

| IL
-, DISCUSSED QUESTION.
4 Statement from Ii Citizen who WA
Present When the City WAS Surrendered
More Evidence Against Gen. sherman.
(From the Columbia Rccord.)
The following article was written by
Capt. John Mckenzie to correct Il statemcn
: published in THE RECORD few month!
ago, that Mayor GOODWIN did not surrcndcl
the city of Columbia TO the Fcdcrals, anC
he added some additional facts, but it was
not finished After his death it was f0unt
among his papers. AS the sack and de
struction Of Columbia" has been brought
vividly to the recollection of the citizens
by the burning, at IN early hour yesterday
morning, OF the only building ON Main
street north of the State Capitol left by
Shcrman's incendiarics, the publication is
deemed Opp0rtune. lie gave the correction
and the names Of the committee (Orland0
L. Bates, Esq, is the only SURVIVOR and
then went on with his experience:
The following are some facts regarding
the surrender and subsequent pillagc and
burning Of Columbia by the troops under
|
thereby: About IL o'clock on the night of
the 10th Of February, | learned Of the an
ucipated surrender Of the city from Gen.
Law, PROVOST Marshal. The General had
called to his assistance Capt. w. g. Stanley
and Mayor GOODWIN, aud these gentlemen
had charge Of the peace and good order of
the city. The home guard consisted of the
members of the fire department over forty
years OF age, who were exempt from mill
tary duty; these men were enrolled, served
under officers and were under the orders of
the Provost Marshal. Being on duty in
this department, strollcd into the Guard
House and met there Chief Of Police John
Burdcll, who was packing up his effects
| preparatory to leaving. We talked about
the surrender, and he said it was necessary
Tor him to depart. l learned also that Gen
| Bcaurcgard had turned over the command
OF the city to Gen. Wade Hampton. This
! was about II O'Clock on the night Of the
10th. The Mayor appointed a committee
to act with him in the melancholy duty of
officially surrcndcring the city, and the
following Aldermen were designated to nct; ;
John Stork, Orlando Il. Bates, Jacob II.
Wells and John Mckenzie. Early in the
morning OF the 18th was the time designated
! Tor the ceremony. 1t was Il busy morning:
the commissary stores were thrown open to
the citizens, and such carrying out of goods
| L nope never to see again-it was who could
carry OIL the most and the best 1t was a
| beautiful clear morning, and the sun lust
above the horizon. when a loud report was
heard caused by the explosion Of guam
| uty OF powder stored in the Freight dcpOt
OF the South Carolina Railroad, on Gcrvais
street. The depot Was being raidcd by II
| mob intent on taking all they could Some
OF these parties had candles and torches,
one OF which, it is supposed, was accident
ally dropped in the powder and Il terrible
explosion was the consequence. The mum
Der killed and wounded was never known.
the thrilling circumstances following so
| rapidly alter, put stop to all con lectures
on that matter. 1t was decided that the
earlier we got over the duty of giving up
the city in good faith to the conuuercrS the
better 1t would be for the lives and property
OF the citiZcnS-bcliCving rs we did then,
that peaceful Surrcndcring of the city
would insure that immunity; but VIC were
certainly awfully mistakcn-w we were the
worst sold men who ever undertook
such job; We could not possibly have been
Worstcd If forciblc possession had been
taken. Early on that cvcntful morning
went down to wake Mayor Goodwin, and
, rCturnc.. with him to the City Hall. In
the Clerk S Office he read short note he
had prepared, in the wording of which
there VAS some repetition, which some Of
us thought was unnecessary, when Alder.
man Wells, by advice Of the Mayor, wrote
another hIt very little ulcrctD which the
Mayor signed; the original | have in my
| possession. 1t was then about I O'Clock
and the programme at that time was, To 90
| TO the river take Il boat and, under Il tlar
of truce, reach Gen. Shcrman's hcaduuar,
tCrS. Previous to starting, it was thought
advisable to place white flag on the stccplc
Of the City Hall. While preparing to do
so, Gen. Hampton sent orders by a courier
young Manning, | think, not to put up IA
white flag rs token of surrender, as the
city was not yet surrendered, and that he
did not know that it would be. SO We
waited further orders anXiouSly Another
courier came about IN hour after the first,
with orders to wait until the General was
heard from. About O'Clock, Gen. Wade
Hampton came down to where the Mayor
| and Aldermen were standing, in front of
the City Hall, and spoke to the Mayor,
telling him that Il part Of the Federal arn,y
had crossed the river on pOnt00ns in the
vicinity of the upper bridge, and for the
Surrcndcring party to go in that direction
lie shook hands with the Mayor, and said
Goodbye and God bless You" The com
mitcc had carriage in waiting and drove
up Main street towards the forks of the
roads, Upper Bridge and Winnsboro,) a
small white ilag being carried by person
not on the committee On arriving at this
point we discovered that Gen. Wheeler and
stall, with some Of his men, occupied the
farm at the junction Of the roads. The
skirmishcrs on both sides were still firing at
each other, and the balls came rather too
thick for comfort; we were objected to nut.
our carriage in rear Of Mrs. XanOni's house.
| In short time, however, Gen. Wheeler
| directed the Mayor to proceed down the
| River road. AS that road had been barri.
cadcd with rails and trees, we had to 20 n
little to the right until VIC passed the OBJ
struclons. Having brought with us from
the city only n small sized flag of truce, it
was suggested that we ought to procure a
larger one, when Mrs Ian0ni took sheet
from bed and, rigging it on a pole, Alder
man Bates held it alOft and marched ahead
OF the line of skirmishcrS stretched over the
whole face OF the country. 1t was not lOnm
before we were halted, and Capt. Pratt, the
officer in command, came up to the carriage,
when Mayor GOODWIN told him that our
purpose was to surrender the city to Gen.
|